Aerosmith drops Indonesia show

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler arrives in Melbourne, Sunday May 5, 2013. The band has cancelled its Indonesia concert amid security concerns. Source: AP

AEROSMITH canceled a show in Indonesia after authorities there said they had foiled a bomb plot targeting the Myanmar Embassy.

Concert promoter Ismaya Live cited safety concerns as the reason for the cancellation, but it wasn't clear if there was a direct connection to the alleged embassy plot.

The American rockers were scheduled to perform this coming Saturday for a nearly sold-out crowd of 15,000 in the capital, Jakarta, said Helmi Sugara, event organizer spokesman.

The statement about the cancellation carried an apology from Aerosmith also saying they hoped to make it up to the fans one day. There was no immediate indication they would reschedule.

Indonesian police said Friday they had arrested two suspected militants and seized bombs the suspects were plotting to use against the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta to protest Myanmar's treatment of Muslims.

Aerosmith started an Asia-Pacific tour in April with their first-ever concert in New Zealand and several shows in Australia. They're scheduled to play Wednesday in the Philippines.

Western music acts are popular in Indonesia, but Islamic hard-liners have forced changes or cancellations in the past.

Lady Gaga canceled what was to be the biggest performance on her Born This Way Ball tour in Asia last year. Hard-liners had threatened violence if the concert was held because they saw the pop diva as a corrupting influence.

Jennifer Lopez, who judged American Idol alongside Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for two seasons, toned down her costumes and dance moves during an Indonesian concert in late November.

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Jepsen drops Scouts over gay issue

Carly Rae Jepsen has pulled out of an event being staged by the Boy Scouts of America. Picture: AP Source: AP

CARLY Rae Jepsen is cancelling her performance at the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree because of the scouts' exclusion of gays.

Jepsen said on Twitter that "as an artist who believes in equality for all people" she's pulling out of the July gathering in West Virginia. The event, held once every four years, is expected to draw more than 45,000.

Rock band Train also warned that it won't appear unless the organisation stops barring participation by gay scouts or adult leaders.

Train said on its website that it was unaware of the policy before agreeing to perform and that the organization must now make "the right decision".

BSA director of publicity Deron Smith said the BSA appreciates "everyone's right to express an opinion" and remains focussed on staging a great jamboree.

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Telstra drops fee for battered women

AUSTRALIA'S largest telephone carrier has bowed to pressure to drop unlisted phone number fees for domestic violence victims, but consumer groups and the Federal Government have questioned whether its exemptions go far enough.

The issue is now the subject of a Senate review, with the Telecommunications Committee asked to investigate outlawing the fee for everyone.

Telstra announced its policy change today following pressure from social media group Destroy the Joint.

One of the Facebook group's 25,000 members, a victim of domestic violence, was asked to pay $35 per year to maintain a silent phone number, despite having an apprehended violence order against her partner.

Telstra spokesman Tim O'Leary said the company was in the process of reviewing its "policy on charging silent line fees for victims of domestic violence" and would waive the $2.93 monthly fee in some circumstances.

"We're just finalising how this will work, but we'll include anyone who has a valid protection order recognising a security threat or (who) is a client of a community organisation providing services to people who are facing a security threat," Mr O'Leary said.

Telstra currently charges the monthly fee to anyone seeking to keep their phone number out of its White Pages directories, with the fee covering the cost of "managing and maintaining" the database.

But while Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy welcomed Telstra's decision as an "important step in protecting the privacy of some of Australia's most vulnerable people," he noted there was "still significant community interest” about the fees.

As such, Senator Conroy has asked the Senate Committee on Telecommunications to examine scrapping the unlisted number fee for all users, as recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission.

The ALRC, in its review of the Telecommunications Act, called the fee "a financial impediment to accessing a service that will help to protect privacy".

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network communications manager Elise Davidson said Telstra's move to axe the fee in some circumstances was "a good first step" but it needed to be extended to low-income earners, pensioners and other violence victims.

"There may well be (victims of violence) who fall outside these parameters," she said. "We're also worried about the resellers because obviously Telstra charge their resellers a fee if their customers want to have a silent line. These providers should be able to offer this exemption".

Optus currently offers unlisted phone numbers without a fee, but resellers including Internode ($4), iPrimus ($3.50), iiNet ($2.93), Spintel ($2.95) and ACN ($2.93) charge monthly fees for silent numbers.

 

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Telstra drops fee for battered women

AUSTRALIA'S largest telephone carrier has bowed to pressure to drop unlisted phone number fees for domestic violence victims, but consumer groups and the Federal Government have questioned whether its exemptions go far enough.

The issue is now the subject of a Senate review, with the Telecommunications Committee asked to investigate outlawing the fee for everyone.

Telstra announced its policy change today following pressure from social media group Destroy the Joint.

One of the Facebook group's 25,000 members, a victim of domestic violence, was asked to pay $35 per year to maintain a silent phone number, despite having an apprehended violence order against her partner.

Telstra spokesman Tim O'Leary said the company was in the process of reviewing its "policy on charging silent line fees for victims of domestic violence" and would waive the $2.93 monthly fee in some circumstances.

"We're just finalising how this will work, but we'll include anyone who has a valid protection order recognising a security threat or (who) is a client of a community organisation providing services to people who are facing a security threat," Mr O'Leary said.

Telstra currently charges the monthly fee to anyone seeking to keep their phone number out of its White Pages directories, with the fee covering the cost of "managing and maintaining" the database.

But while Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy welcomed Telstra's decision as an "important step in protecting the privacy of some of Australia's most vulnerable people," he noted there was "still significant community interest” about the fees.

As such, Senator Conroy has asked the Senate Committee on Telecommunications to examine scrapping the unlisted number fee for all users, as recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission.

The ALRC, in its review of the Telecommunications Act, called the fee "a financial impediment to accessing a service that will help to protect privacy".

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network communications manager Elise Davidson said Telstra's move to axe the fee in some circumstances was "a good first step" but it needed to be extended to low-income earners, pensioners and other violence victims.

"There may well be (victims of violence) who fall outside these parameters," she said. "We're also worried about the resellers because obviously Telstra charge their resellers a fee if their customers want to have a silent line. These providers should be able to offer this exemption".

Optus currently offers unlisted phone numbers without a fee, but resellers including Internode ($4), iPrimus ($3.50), iiNet ($2.93), Spintel ($2.95) and ACN ($2.93) charge monthly fees for silent numbers.

 

View the original article here